NASCAR's New 180-MPH Mega-Treadmill: First Look

Getting detailed data on the performance of race cars can be difficult as they are roaring along a track.

When it opens in Concord, N.C., later this year, a full-scale, high-speed race car treadmill, the first of its kind in North America, will provide teams the chance to crunch the data indoors.

After a driverless car is tethered to the track, a two-story-high fan whips a 180-mph wind through the test bay while a paper-thin, stainless-steel belt spins beneath the wheels. Racing teams will use sensors below the belt to measure the downforce under each tire, a crucial factor in making sure the car stays on track during tight turns, as well as perform other aerodynamic tests. NASCAR team owner Gene Haas owns the wind tunnel, but anyone can use it--for $4000 an hour.

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Machine Specs

|A Mighty Wind: A 22-ft.-wide, 5100-hp fan can circulate 2.85 million cu. ft. of air per minute.

|Rolling Road: The stainless-steel belt is 10.5 ft. wide and 29.5 ft. long,but only a millimeter thick. It will need to be replaced after 5000 hours of use.

|Speed Racer: The belt can ramp up to 180 mph in less than a minute. It can also decelerate quickly, going back to 0 in less than 10 seconds.